McFadden Plans To Add Car Dealerships In Lakewood

August 27, 2014

LAKEWOOD - A moratorium in Lakewood is putting the brakes on one businessman's plans to add more car dealerships.

William McFadden, owner of the LUV Toyota dealership at 215 E. Fairmount Ave., went before the Lakewood Village Board recently to propose two new car dealerships near his current business on Fairmount Avenue.

The first proposal would be located in the Grossman's Bargain Outlet building and called "All Makes Pre-Owned Auto."

The business would turn the 48,000-square-foot building into a used car showroom.

According to McFadden, the pre-car owned business would generate 12 additional jobs in the village.

The second proposal would be the construction of a 23,000-square-foot building between Tractor Supply Company and McFadden's Toyota dealership. It would be constructed for the sale and service of new and used automobiles and would create 30-35 new jobs.

However, Lakewood currently has a moratorium against adding car dealerships - and other various zoning regulations - as the village finishes revising its zoning code.

"Basically when we started rewriting the zoning code, we put in several moratoriums. Nothing was done without us able to write and rewrite the plan," said David Wordelmann, Lakewood mayor.

"That moratorium is in effect. So, at this point we can't accept applications for car dealerships."

The moratorium will not be lifted until the new zoning law goes into effect.

If the zoning code is rewritten to allow for car dealerships to be allowed on Fairmount Avenue, a public hearing will need to be set because it would be a major change.

Currently the public hearing on the zoning code will be held on Monday, Sept. 8 at 6:45 p.m.